Prices on the rise for Easter

The Easter weekend is almost upon us, and this year consumers can expect to pay more for certain items which have been a staple in households around the country for years during this period. The price of vegetables, for one, has shown a small increase, as well as the price of fish, both highly popular during the Lenten season and especially for Good Friday. Even the ever-popular Good Friday treat of Hot Cross Buns has seen an increase in price, the result of rising flour prices and in some cases gas prices. President of the Bakers Association and proprietor of Affan’s Bakery in San Fernando, Ronald Austin, revealed that the price of buns has increased 0.25 cents from last year, going up from $1 to $1.25.

However, he said they were not such a big seller in South Trinidad, with most people waiting until the last minute to make their purchases. He expected most sales to come in tomorrow, the day before Good Friday. Leon Phillips, owner of Chee Mooke Bakery, also revealed that he had increased the price of his buns from last year, although he could not remember exactly what last year’s prices were like. This year, customers can expect to pay 0.95 cents per bun, with a special offer of six buns for $5.40. He blamed the increase in the price of flour for this, as well as increases in the price of Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG). Phillips revealed that the bakery had begun selling the buns the week after Christmas. However, sales only began to pick up as Easter drew nearer, he said. He expects an influx of buyers between today and tomorrow, so much so that he plans to make as much as 46,000 buns for tomorrow.

Rene de Gannes, marketing manager at Kiss Baking Company Ltd, which sells its own Hot Cross buns at supermarkets across the country, could not specify whether the price of the bun had increased from last year. However, he speculated that it had not. The retail price of the buns, he revealed, was $1.50 per bun, each of which was individually packaged and measured four inches in diameter. “This is not the traditional six clustered pack you get at a “mom and pop” bakery,” he said. “Our bun is bigger and our approach is different to the rest of the market.” Most of the orders for the Kiss Hot Cross Buns come from supermarkets and other retail outlets. However, de Gannes noted that they also received orders from churches which would distribute the buns to their congregation on Good Friday.

Where vegetables are concerned, one retailer revealed that prices had shown a slight increase which could be linked to dry season conditions. The price of tomatoes, he said, has gone up, as has the price of cucumbers and ground provision. A comparison with figures provided by the National Agricul-tural, Marketing and Develop-ment Company Limited (Namdevco), showed that prices for the corresponding period of last year were slightly cheaper. In 2003, tomatoes were sold for $3.68 per pound while, this year, in some parts of Trinidad, consumers are paying $5 per pound. Cucumbers were priced at $1.93 per pound last year, but this year are priced at $3 per pound.

Ground provision items, specifically cassava, eddoes and dasheen, have also seen an increase in price, the retailer stated, going for $2, $3 and $2 respectively. “Everything has its season,” he said. “When there is a demand for an item, the price tends to go up. Lent is one of those times.” Manager of Trinidad Sea Foods Ltd, David Lancer, revealed that sales of fish this year have shown an increase from last year. He linked this increase to problems plaguing the poultry and beef industries, both locally and internationally. He noted that the demand for fish was wide, with types like kingfish, marlin, tuna, salmon and shark being popular among the buying public. However, sales for snapper and grouper had slowed down, he said. The price for salmon per pound, he revealed, is now $8.50 for whole salmon, while salmon fillets are going for $10 per pound. Kingfish and shark are priced at $12 and $6 per pound respectively.